Greens and Vegetables

Do rabbits really like carrots?

Yes, they do! But carrots are more like a sugary treat for a rabbit (so are fruits), so they should be given in small quantities. They can upset a rabbit’s digestive system if given too much.

A better way to think about giving a healthy variety of foods to your bunny is to feed a salad a day. Salads are a very healthy and important part of your rabbit’s diet. In other words, give bunny those carrot tops instead, along with a nice selection of other greens!

Try to select a minimum of three types of greens daily. Each type of veggie will provide not only different nutrients, but also different chewing motions to aid with tooth grinding (rabbit teeth are constantly growing!). Remember that there are many pesticides sprayed throughout the growing process, so it’s important to thoroughly clean all produce before consuming it.

Check the list below for examples of the greens and vegetables that are safe to feed your rabbit. A good guideline is to feed a minimum of 1 cup of vegetables for each 4 lbs. of body weight per day. Add one vegetable to the diet at a time. Eliminate if it causes soft stools or diarrhea. Remember - each rabbit is an individual, and you will need to alter these guidelines to meet your rabbit’s specific requirements based on his health and sensitivity to certain foods. (Note – it is important that before introducing any fresh foods to your rabbit, it is best if she has been eating grass hay for a minimum of 2 weeks. The grass hay will help get her GI tract in good working order to be able to accept new foods more easily.)

Limit fruits to 1-2 tablespoons per 5 lbs. of body weight (none if dieting) from the list below of high fiber fruits. Sugary fruits such as bananas and grapes should be used only sparingly, as occasional treats. Rabbits have a sweet tooth and if left to their own devices will devour sugary foods to the exclusion of healthful ones.

rabbit eating greens

Vegetables

Alfalfa, radish & clover sprouts*
Arugula
Basil
Beet greens (tops)*
Bell peppers** (any color)
Bok choy
Broccoli** (mostly leaves/stems; limit, can cause gas)
Brussels sprouts**
Carrot**
Carrot tops
Celery**
Cilantro
Clover
Collard greens
Dandelion greens and flowers (no pesticides)
Dill leaves
Endive
Escarole
Kale (limit)
Mint
Mustard greens*
Parsley*
Pea pods** (the flat edible kind)
Peppermint leaves
Radicchio
Radish tops*
Raspberry leaves
Red Leaf lettuce
Romaine lettuce (no iceberg or light colored leaf)
Spinach (limit)*
Spring greens
Swiss chard*
Turnip greens
Watercress
Wheat grass
*These leafy greens need to be rotated due to oxalic acid content and should only be one out of three varieties of greens a day.
**These non-leafy vegetables should be no more than about 15% of the diet. (About 1 T. per 2 lbs. of body weight per day.)

Fruits:

Apple
Banana
Blueberries
Melon
Orange (remove the peel)
Papaya
Peach
Pear
Pineapple
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries

Occasional Treats:

Small piece of carrot (1/2 inch)
Naturally dried fruits (1 tsp, or 1-2 raisins, Craisins, etc)

Absolutely NO chocolate (poisonous!), cookies, crackers, breakfast cereals, bread, pasta, onions, yogurt drops, or other "human treats." There is research to suggest these items may contribute to fatal cases of enterotoxemia, a toxic overgrowth of "bad" bacteria in the intestinal tract.